Let me just start out by saying that I am generally impressed by anything Disney or Universal puts out, so your mileage will likely vary. Therefore, I'm not one to participate in the SCREENZ debate and look at each ride's merits on its own. Having said that, I do understand the space limitations this building had. Since there isn't really much else Universal could do with such a small site, a simulator here seems like the only proper fit. You'd have a really cheesy and really short ride otherwise. With regards to the facade, it's a major improvement over Twister and looks cool at night, but I do mourn the fact that Universal continues to leave parts of the showbuilding exposed. Why they continue to settle for doubles instead of aiming for home-runs in this field I'll never understand.
I didn't know the wait time feature was active (it might have been the first day of operation) on the UO app, so I had to get a return time from the kiosk. I like that it gives you an option in choosing your time, but didn't like that the only times available were two half-hour slots within an hour time frame. I'm sure there will be more options once the system is fully active though. Once my time was reached, I headed right in.
The first lobby was perhaps my favorite. The displays for the original NBC equipment and each of the hosts were cool and informative. My favorite part was that the TVs showing footage for each host were reflective of the era (Fallon on a big plasma while Allen was on a box model with a screen the size of my fist). That's the kind of attention to detail that can sell a skeptical rider. I would have traded my time on the upper level to keep watching the old TV sets.
The second lobby was also done well, but since only one ride theatre was being used, also way too crowded. I suspect once they start using two, it will feel a little more relaxed up there, but we won't know until it officially opens. I can't give a review about the games on the desks, but they did look fun. Since there were many kids present, I figured they should have a chance to play and it did keep them from running around, which is a bonus. The Ragtime Gals were funny, but I am most definitely not a big music guy and didn't pay much attention to them. Hashtag looked like he was having fun, as were the people he was posing with.
As for the ride, I thought it was really fun. I strongly agree with others here that the ride cards need more definitive color shades since I thought my yellow card was orange and would have missed my entry if I didn't see other card colors. The ride itself was perhaps the smoothest one out of all Universal has to offer and does a great job synching with the video for a 72 seater. Speaking of the video, the 3D is most convincing I've ever seen used on a ride. If I didn't know any better (and since this is a theme park, I always allow a little suspension of disbelief), I could have sworn that Steve Higgins was standing there in person at the beginning. Once all was said and done, I was a little disturbed that the whole experience took about an hour without telling people at the entrance what the duration would be, but again that will likely change once softs are done. I also would have preferred the vehicles to be individual cars like the one Fallon uses, but c'est la vie.
Overall, is it a tad disheartening to see another simulator right down the road from Minion Mayhem? Absolutely. But I had a smile on my face from load to unload, and if that doesn't make this a good ride, I don't know what will.